When ITWOC race director Alison sent an email out earlier this year about her 2021 races, I knew I wanted to participate in at least one of them. These races, most of which take place on trails not normally open to the public, really are a hidden gem in the OC running circuit. Not having to contend with large groups of hikers or mountain bikers allows for a truly peaceful trail run experience. ITW trail races also usually feature a fair amount of climbing + gorgeous views. Bonus: I have the potential of leaving with some cash and goodies if I end up doing well enough!
I had great race experiences at the Limestone Eco Challenge in November of 2018 and at another one in Irvine Valley Park in March of 2019. In fact, I thought that yesterday’s race was the same as the 2019 event. The staging areas for both 30Ks are the same, but the actual start/finish lines are within a quarter mile of each other… and run on completely different trails. I wish I’d logged a more comprehensive write-up of the 2019 race; I remembered it as being somewhat hilly and very pretty, so that’s what I was mentally prepared for this weekend. I also had an idea in mind as to how long it would take me, again based on the 2019 race. As it turned out, the Fremont Canyon 30K served up about 1,409 ft more of climbing, was about a mile shorter, and offered slightly better views from above than the other 30K.
Since the race didn’t start until 7:45am, I had plenty of time in the morning to get ready and head to Irvine (~40 minute drive). I ate a small bowl of oatmeal + almond butter and enjoyed my piping hot coffee on the way to the park, arriving with about 50 minutes until the start. I picked my race items up, visited the bathroom, sat in my warm car and read, pinned my race bib on and affixed the timing chip to my shoe, paid the bathroom one more visit.. and then jogged over to the start line. After a few minutes of course instructions (follow the pink ribbons and chalk arrows) and sponsor announcements, we all headed down a single track trail toward Fremont Canyon.
I’d run the IVP race in 2019 with my phone to listen to a podcast (I don’t normally do this, but was treating it as a long training run vs. a “race”) and decided I’d do the same this time. I slipped my AirPods in about a mile in, after we’d spread out enough and I’d found my footing on the somewhat rocky trail. I was very excited to listen to the Joe Rogan + Peter Attia podcast that I thought I’d fully downloaded the night before. I don’t normally download podcasts to my phone because it drains the battery, but expected spotty reception out on the trails. Not only did the ‘cast not fully download, but reception went from spotty to non-existent early on. It was fine though because the views were breathtaking, and I was having a blast!
The first 1ish mile took us down a narrow, gravel-y path before opening up into wider fire road. I knew to settle in for the climbing early on, as that’s what I would be doing for most of the first 2 hours. I didn’t start at the front and guessed there to be 10-11 females ahead of me, a majority of which I passed during the first uphill portion. While it doesn’t appear to be long on the elevation chart, the downhill section between miles 7 and 8 felt like it was 5 miles long, and this was the only part of the course that I did not enjoy. In addition to it really bothering my ankle, a female runner blew past me and was running very strong on the downhills, of which the final 4-5 miles would be comprised. I knew we had more, and steeper, climbing up ahead, so I didn’t want to trash my legs during the first few miles.
Unsurprisingly, I felt the best during the steepest and most exposed section of the course (miles 8 – 12, with some 10%+ grade!). I was warmed up, settled in, and my legs were absolutely loving the climbing. While I could’ve done without the rocky, more technical sections, I was truly enjoying myself. My friend Robin was manning the 3rd aid station (mile 11.4) and told me that I was in the 2 OAF position. This made me nervous because of the female runner who’d blown past me on the downhill earlier. I’m not terribly competitive, but dislike being passed by someone I’d passed earlier. I threw some water and Ultima down the hatch, bid Robin farewell, and decided it was time to let ‘er rip.
Miles 13 through 18 were sub-7:30 min/mile, with a few sub-7s in there. I felt amazing! The final 1.5ish miles are flat, but with a few tight turns and on gravel. I wanted to finish fast and strong, but without a twisted ankle. I flew into the finish line 2 hours and 42 minutes dirtier and more tired, but very happy. I also maintained my 2 OAF position! I was ~5 minutes behind 1 OAF and ~7 minutes ahead of #3. My official finish time as 2:42:08.
Since my watch read 17.35 miles, I completed a .65 mile cool down for a satisfyingly even 18 miles before cleaning up for the 11:00am awards ceremony. I ended up winning $85 cash, which covered my race entry fee, and a few swag items.
I am very happy with how good I felt throughout the entire race and am very excited to participate in more Into the Wild OC trail races in 2022!
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